Light tactical vehicles are commonly used by military organizations for a variety of purposes such as reconnaissance, cargo and troop transport, and as general purpose utility vehicles. The most common light tactical vehicle currently used in military operations is a four-wheel-drive vehicle designated the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), more commonly referred to as the Humvee. Light tactical vehicles such as the Humvee may include relatively light armor plating and bullet-resistant glass mounted to the passenger compartment to improve survivability against low-intensity ballistic attacks.
Armor plating and bullet-resistant glass may be effective in protecting the Humvee against threats such as small arms fire directed primarily toward the lateral sides of the vehicle. In addition, such armor plating may be effective in protecting the vehicle against explosions adjacent to the vehicle sides and where an overpressure wave is produced by the explosion. The overpressure wave may be characterized as a shock front of relatively high pressure air (e.g., 100 psi or higher) emanating from the explosive device and moving at a relatively high velocity (e.g., 1500 mile/hour or greater). During an explosion adjacent to the lateral sides of a vehicle, the overpressure wave is generally unconfined and may disperse in multiple directions which may minimize the effects of the impact of the overpressure wave against the vehicle.
However, a potentially more dangerous situation may occur when the vehicle is exposed to landmines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that are buried in roads. An explosion from a landmine in the confined space between the vehicle and the road may result in an overpressure wave that may impact the floor of the passenger compartment. The overpressure wave from a landmine may have a higher intensity than an explosion near the lateral sides of the vehicle due to the relatively close proximity of the charge (e.g., landmine) to the vehicle. The impact of the overpressure wave against the floor of the passenger compartment may result in a rapid dynamic structural response of the floor, as well as a breach in the vehicle hull, both having the potential for causing serious injury to troops in the vehicle. The rapid movement of the floor may also generate an overpressure wave within the confined space of the passenger compartment which may present the risk of injury to generally hollow body organs or organs that contain air. Such organs may include the ears, the lungs, the brain, and other relatively hollow organs.
In order to increase survivability of the vehicle and occupants, troops have added makeshift armor to the vehicle. Unfortunately, the makeshift armor increases overall vehicle weight which reduces vehicle performance. For example, the increased vehicle weight may adversely affect vehicle acceleration and braking and reduce vehicle reliability due to additional stress on the vehicle components from the added weight. Vehicle handling may also suffer as a result of a higher center of gravity of the heavier vehicle. The higher center of gravity of the vehicle may also increase susceptibility of the vehicle to tipping over.
As can be seen, there exists a need in the art for a system and method for protecting the underside of a vehicle from a high-intensity overpressure blast from a landmine or similar explosive device. Preferably, such a system is of low weight to minimize adverse effects on vehicle performance.